Supplements

As November arrives, so do chilly temperatures, family gatherings…and cold and flu season. As an unwelcome part of the holiday time of year, even those who live in warmer climates are prone to illness from these stressful months and changing weather.

Knowing which nutrients can help improve eye health is essential for the prevention of future eye problems. Retailers should keep up to date on the latest research to better help their customers and to make their supplement section a little easier on the eyes.

Just as it is important to keep gas in our vehicles and schedule routine check-ups to extend the lives of our cars, it is also essential to stay in tune with our mental well-being. Keeping a positive mental outlook and maintaining one’s mental acuity may seem effortless to some, but it is difficult for the millions of people who suffer from mood and memory disorders.

It’s time to consider the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in a new light. Though it has the unglamorous function of breaking down food products and excreting the waste, it’s also a willing participant in the epic and heroic battle of good versus evil—bacteria, that is.

Muhammad Ali once said, “Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them—a desire, a dream, a vision.” I might be bold enough to add good nutrition to that list.

It might be easier to predict the movement of the stock market than to anticipate the moods of teenagers. In a matter of an afternoon, their characters may change from silly to sullen, from needing a hug to wanting solitude. But, one thing is for sure. Their growing bodies desperately need great nutrition.

Did you know that omega-3 deficiency can be deadlier than eating too much trans-fats? Last month’s Research News section offered this interesting finding from the Harvard School of Public Health, in which researchers found that getting too few dietary omega-3s accounted for 72,000–96,000 preventable deaths in the United States in 2005 (see August issue, page 10).